Careers Education at Braidwood School
Preparing Every Student for Their Future
At Braidwood School, our purpose is simple: to prepare every young person for a successful and fulfilling adult life, whatever that may look like.
Careers education at Braidwood is about far more than jobs. It is about developing independence, confidence, resilience and aspiration. It is about helping students understand their strengths, explore realistic pathways, and make informed decisions about their future.
We are committed to ensuring every learner leaves us ready for employment, further education, training or supported living.
Our Vision
We are committed to:
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Raising aspirations and developing ambitious, independent learners
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Embedding employability, enterprise and economic understanding across the curriculum
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Providing a progressive careers programme from Years 7–13
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Delivering personalised, impartial and independent guidance
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Offering meaningful encounters with employers and workplaces wherever possible
Our goal is for every student to achieve their personal best and progress confidently to their next step.
Meaningful Work Encounters
We believe that real-life experiences are essential in raising aspirations and improving long-term outcomes, particularly for learners with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
Braidwood School is committed to providing meaningful, high-quality encounters with the world of work wherever possible. These include:
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Employer talks and workshops
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Workplace visits
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Work experience placements
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A Deaf Careers Fair once every 2 years
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Enterprise projects
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Encounters with colleges, training providers and employers
All experiences are carefully planned, purposeful and adapted to meet individual needs. They help students build confidence, understand workplace expectations and develop essential employability skills.
Statutory Guidance and Quality Frameworks
Our careers programme meets and exceeds statutory requirements under the Education Act 2011 and the Department for Education’s Careers Guidance and Access for Education and Training Providers (most recently updated 2023).
Our provision is aligned with:
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The Gatsby Benchmarks, developed by the Gatsby Foundation
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Guidance from the Careers & Enterprise Company
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The Career Development Framework from the Career Development Institute
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Inspection expectations set by Ofsted
We regularly review our provision using Compass+ and destination data to ensure it remains ambitious, inclusive and effective.
Provider Access Legislation (PAL)
In line with the Provider Access Legislation (updated January 2023), Braidwood School ensures that all students in Years 8–13 have multiple opportunities to learn about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.
We provide a minimum of six encounters with providers of technical education or apprenticeships during secondary education, including:
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Two encounters for students in Years 8–9
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Two encounters for students in Years 10–11
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Two encounters for students in Years 12–13
These encounters are meaningful, well-planned and integrated into the careers programme. They enable students and families to understand the full range of academic and technical pathways available, supporting informed and unbiased decision-making.
Providers wishing to request access should refer to the school’s Provider Access Policy for further details.
Equality, Inclusion and High Aspirations
Careers education at Braidwood promotes equality of opportunity, celebrates diversity and challenges stereotypes.
All students receive personalised support to explore pathways that match their interests, strengths and ambitions, including employment, further education, training, independent living and supported living.
Continuous Improvement
Our careers programme is reviewed annually through feedback from students, parents, staff, governors and external partners. We analyse destination data and benchmark performance to ensure our provision continues to deliver strong outcomes for all learners.
We remain committed to excellence in preparing every student for adulthood.
The BTEC Sport group visited West Bromwich Leisure Centre for a careers encounter, where they gained a behind-the-scenes insight into roles within the leisure industry. Students also explored the skills, qualifications and personal attributes required to work in this sector.
Feedback from the centre: “It was a great couple of hours where the students got a taste of the facilities alongside speaking with different members of the team about their career journeys. The day was positive for both the students and staff and allowed us to reflect on barriers to entry for different groups as well as how we can be more accessible as a site.”